10 Minute Barrier at Pikes Peak Broken by "Monster" Tajima

Measuring 12.42 miles with 156 turns, Pikes Peak hill climb starts the competition at 9390 ft and ends it at an oxygen-depleting 14,110 ft. The second oldest motorsports event in the U.S., "The Race to the Clouds" debuted in 1916, and ever since its inception, the elusive 10-minute barrier has yet to be broken. Many have tried, claiming their builds were going to set the insurmountable precedent, but all have failed. Until now.

Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima, the Japanese elevation expert finally shattered the 10-minute mark with a 9:51:58 run this past weekend, taking home his sixth consecutive overall win at the 89th Annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The effort was made possible thanks to a heavily modified 2011 Monster Sport (Suzuki) SX4 Hill Climb Special making 910 bhp out of its highly tuned, twin-turbo 3100cc V-6.

Having attacked the course since 1988, taking his first win in the Unlimited class in 1993, Monster and a handful others have come close to tickling the low 10 minute mark, but having never achieved it. To the credit of attempts from previous years however, thanks the legal action, the former dirt road has gradually grown in asphalt. With the pavement scheduled for completion by January 2012, this past Pikes Peak looks to be the last of the dirt years. Boo.